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The Headlines and History of Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire was the most successful female recording artist in country material in the 1980s and 1990s, during which time she scored 22 number one favorites and issued five gold albums, six platinum albums, two double-platinum albums, four triple-platinum albums, a quadruple-platinum album, and a quintuple-platinum album, for certified album sales of 33.5 million over the 20-year period. while she continued to sell records in healthy numbers into the 21st century, she increased her activities as an actress in film and on the legitimate stage, and particularly on television, where she starred in a long-running situation comedy. Such diversification made her the greatest crossover star to emerge from country material since Dolly Parton.

Reba Nell McEntire was born March 28, 1955, in McAlester, OK, the second daughter and third of four children of Clark Vincent McEntire, a professional steer roper, and Jacqueline (Smith) McEntire, a former school teacher. Her older brother Del Stanley (“Pake”) McEntire also became a country singer, during her younger sister Martha Susan (“Susie”) McEntire Luchsinger became a gospel singer. McEntire was raised on the 7,000-acre family ranch in Chockie, OK, traveling with her parents and siblings to the rodeos at which her father competed. Clark McEntire was named World Champion Steer Roper three times, in 1957, 1958, and 1961. (McEntire’s grandfather, John McEntire, had won the same title in 1934.) McEntire’s mother had aspired to a career in material but never pursued it. She encouraged her children to sing and taught them material and harmony while the long car trips between rodeos. Alice McEntire, the oldest child, did not actively seek a musical career, but the other three were members of a country group, the Kiowa High School Cowboy Band, as early as 1969, when McEntire started attending Kiowa High School in Kiowa, OK. She also entered local talent contests on her own. In 1971, the Kiowa High School Cowboy band recorded a single, “The Ballad of John McEntire,” for the tiny Boss Records label, which pressed 1,000 albums. As the early ’70s went on, the band gave way to a trio, the Singing McEntires, consisting of the three siblings, which performed at rodeos. McEntire also followed in the family tradition of competing, becoming a barrel racer, the only rodeo event open to women.

McEntire graduated from high school in June 1973 and enrolled at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. while attending the nationwide Rodeo Finals in Oklahoma City on December 10, 1974, she sang the nationwide anthem on network tv. Also present at the rodeo was country star Red Steagall, who was impressed by her voice and asked her to go to Nashville to album some demos for his song publishing company. After she did so in March 1975 while her spring hiatus from college, he took the tapes around town trying to get her a record deal and succeeded with Mercury Records, which signed her to a contract on November 11, 1975, that called for her to album two singles for the label. On January 22, 1976, she entered a Nashville recording studio and cut the first of those singles, “I Don’t Want to Be a One Night Stand,” which, upon its release, climbed to number 88 in the Billboard country singles chart in May. On June 21, 1976, she married Charlie Battles, a champion steer wrestler she had met at a rodeo. Battles later became her business manager.

On September 16, 1976, McEntire did her second Mercury recording session, which produced her second single, “(There’s Nothing Like the Love) Between a Woman and a Man.” It peaked at number 86 in March 1977. In the meantime, on December 16, 1976, she graduated from college on an accelerated three-and-a-half-year program with a major in elementary education and a minor in music, freeing her to pursue her career full-time. Her album label, however, seemed in no particular hurry, although it picked up her option for further recordings. Her third single, “Glad I Waited Just for You,” recorded on April 13, 1977, peaked at number 88 in August, the same month Mercury gave us her debut album, Reba McEntire, which did not chart. On September 17, 1977, she made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry.

Two and a half years into her recording career, with very little to show for it, McEntire was paired with labelmate Jacky Ward for the two-sided single “Three Sheets in the Wind”/”I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” (the B-side a cover of the pop hit by England Dan & John Ford Coley), which reached number 20 in July 1978. That and her touring as an opening act for Steagall, Ward, and others opened up her exposure, and her next solo single, “Last Night, Ev’ry Night,” reached number 28 in October, beginning a string of singles that made it at least into the country Top 40. She first got into the Top 20 with her cover of the Patsy Cline hit “Sweet Dreams,” which peaked at number 19 in November 1979. She still wasn’t selling any albums, however; her second LP, Out of a Dream, gave us in September 1979, did not chart.

McEntire continued to make strides on the singles chart, climbing to the Top Ten for the first time with “(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven,” which peaked at number eight in August 1980. Feel the Fire, her third album, put forth in October 1980, was another failure, but after a couple more Top 20 singles she reached the Top Five with “Today All Over Again” in October 1981. The song was featured on her fourth album, Heart to Heart, issued in September, which helped it become her first to chart, climbing to number 42 in the country LP list. She achieved a new high on the singles chart in August 1982 when “I’m Not That Lonely Yet” reached number three. It was included on her fifth album, Unlimited, issued in June 1982, which hit number 22. But that was only the beginning. The LP also spawned “Can’t Even Get the Blues” and “You’re the First Time I’ve Thought About Leaving,” which became back-to-back number one smashes in January and April 1983. By then, she had moved up from performing nightclubs and honky tonks to being the regular opening act for the Statler Brothers. She went on to work in the same capacity with Conway Twitty, Ronnie Milsap, Mickey Gilley, and others.

It might be argued that Mercury Records had taken a 20-year-old neophyte singing the nationwide anthem at a rodeo and, over a period of more than seven years, groomed her until she became a chart-topping country star. McEntire appears not to have viewed things that way, however. On the contrary, she seems to have been unhappy with the songs the label gave her to sing and the musical approach taken on her records, feeling that she was being pushed too much in a country-pop direction. She also has criticized Mercury’s promotional efforts on her behalf. And, despite her recent success, the long years of development meant she was nowhere up there with repaying the investment Mercury had made in her, which, of course, was charged against her potential royalties on the company books. (Although she received yearly advances from the label, she later said that she did not see her first royalties from Mercury until 1988.) So, she sought a release from her signed deal and, after cutting one more album for Mercury, her sixth LP, Behind the Scene, put forth in September 1983, she signed to MCA Records, her new contract taking effect on October 1, 1983. The first fruits of the switchover suggested that not much had changed. Her debut MCA single, “Just a Little Love,” was a Top Five hit in June 1984, shortly after the release of an album of the same name, but that LP was actually less successful than Unlimited.

McEntire took strong action. Set to have Harold Shedd (Alabama’s producer, and thus a hot commercial property) produce her next album, she rejected his suggestions for material and the sweetened arrangements he imposed on them and appealed to Jimmy Bowen, the newly installed president of MCA’s country division. Bowen allowed her to pick her own songs and to eliminate the strings and other pop touches used on Just a Little Love and her Mercury releases. The result was the pointedly titled My Kind of Country, put forth in November 1984, which was topped by covers of old country material previously performed by Ray Price, Carl Smith, Connie Smith, and Faron Young. Even before the album’s release, however, and before its advance single, “How Blue,” hit number one, McEntire was named Female vocalist of the Year by the Country songs Association (CMA) on October 8, 1984. It was a fiery win; Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, and Charly McClain had all arguably been more successful while the previous 12 months. But it was a forward-looking recognition for a performer who was wisely aligning herself with such artists as Ricky Skaggs and George Strait as a “new traditionalist,” moving country material back to its roots after the decline of the pop-country Urban Cowboy phenomenon of the early ’80s.

“How Blue” hit number one in January 1985, followed by the second single from My Kind of Country, “Somebody Should Leave,” which dominated the chart in May as the record reached number 13. (Eventually, it was certified gold.) With such success, McEntire was able to start headlining her own performances. For her next album, Have I Got a Deal for You, released in July 1985, she worked directly with Bowen, the two billed as co-producers. Another new traditionalist collection, it included her own composition “Only in My Mind,” a Top Five hit, as well as a Top Ten hit in the title song; though the LP was not as successful as its predecessor, it too went gold over time, and it helped McEntire earn her second consecutive CMA award as Female vocalist of the Year. Another important accolade came on January 14, 1986, when she became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

Perhaps even more important than McEntire’s decision to perform songs in a more traditional country style was her search for music that she felt women would respond to. Just as Loretta Lynn had spoken for pre-feminist women in the 1960s, McEntire had begun to address the emotional and empowering concerns of women in the 1980s. “Whoever’s in New England,” her next single, put forth in January 1986 just ahead of an record of the same name, was a case in point. Kendal Franceschi and Quentin Powers’ song was written in the voice of a Southern woman who believes her husband is having an affair during his business trips up north, but pledges that she will remain available to him when “whoever’s in New England’s through with you.” It was a career-making song for McEntire, not least because it was promoted by her first music video. climbing to number one in May 1986, it marked a major breakthrough for her, beginning a string of chart-topping smashes that didn’t begin to slow down for the next three years. “Little Rock,” the follow-up single, also hit number one, as did the Whoever’s in New England album, her first LP to be certified gold. (It later went platinum.)

Her career in high gear, McEntire gave us her next album, What Am I Gonna Do About You, in September 1986, prefaced by a single of the same name that hit number one, as did the gold-selling LP, which also featured the chart-topping single “One Promise Too Late.” On October 13, 1986, McEntire not only won her third consecutive Female singer of the Year Award from the CMA, but also was named Entertainer of the Year. On February 24, 1987, she won her first Grammy Award for Country Female Vocal for “Whoever’s in New England.” She put forth Reba McEntire’s Greatest hits in April; it became her first platinum record and eventually sold over three million albums. (It also became her first record ever to cross over to the pop charts.) On June 25, 1987, she filed for divorce from Charlie Battles, her husband of 11 years. After her divorce was settled and Battles was awarded the couple’s ranch in Oklahoma, she moved to Nashville.

McEntire’s string of favorites continued with the release of The Last One to Know in September 1987, prefaced by a single of the same name that reached number one in December. The album, also featuring the number one hit “Love Will Find Its Way to You,” reached number three and eventually went platinum. McEntire won an unprecedented fourth straight CMA award as Female singer of the Year in October. In November, she gave us a holiday album, Merry Christmas to You, which, over the years, sold more than two million albums. She engendered controversy with her next album release, Reba, which appeared in May 1988. Here, an artist who had jumped on the new traditionalist bandwagon in 1984 abruptly jumped off, returning to more of a pop-oriented style, without a fiddle or a steel guitar anywhere. The album’s leadoff single was “Sunday Kind of Love,” a cover of the 1947 Jo Stafford pop hit. It peaked at number five in July, actually the worst showing for a McEntire single in nearly three years. But the album had already begun a run of eight weeks at number one by then, and it was supported by the subsequent chart-topping singles “I Know How He Feels” and “New Fool at an Old Game.” It eventually went platinum. Also in 1988, McEntire crafted Starstruck Entertainment, a company that handled management, booking, publishing, and other aspects of her career and, eventually, represented other performers as well.

Sweet Sixteen, gave us in May 1989, was actually McEntire’s 14th regular studio album, but her 16th counting her authorized MCA smashes compilation and Christmas record. The leadoff single was a cover of the Everly Brothers’ “Cathy’s Clown” that hit number one in July, and it was followed by three Top Ten hits, “‘Til Love Comes Again,” “Little Girl,” and “Walk On,” as the LP spent 13 weeks at the top of the charts, with sales eventually crossing the million mark. It also reached the pop Top 100. McEntire had already recorded her next album, Live, the previous April for release in September and, though it took more than a decade, another platinum certification. That gave her some breathing space. On June 3, 1989, she married Narvel Blackstock, her manager, who had been part of her organization since joining her group as its steel guitar player in 1980. On February 23, 1990, she bore him a son, Shelby Steven McEntire Blackstock. A month earlier, she had made her feature film acting debut in the comic horror film Tremors, which had been shot the previous spring.

McEntire was back on tour by May 1990, and she came back to album making in September with her 15th regular studio album, Rumor Has It, which was prefaced by the single “You Lie,” a number one hit. Three other material from the LP placed in the country Top Ten: the title song, a revival of Bobbie Gentry’s 1969 hit “Fancy,” and “Fallin’ Out of Love.” The record eventually sold three million albums. McEntire was on tour preaching it when, on March 16, 1991, seven members of her group and her road manager were killed in a plane crash after a show in San Diego. She dedicated her next album, For My Broken Heart, to them when it was gave us in October. The disc was another massive hit, going gold and platinum at the same time shortly after its release and eventually selling four million copies, its singles including the chart-topping title song and another number one, “Is There Life Out There.” Also in 1991, McEntire co-starred in the television mini-series The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw. Her 17th album, It’s Your Call, was issued in December 1992, and, like Rumor Has It, it was an immediate million seller, eventually going triple platinum. (It was also her first Top Ten pop album.) Its biggest single was “The Heart Won’t Lie,” a duet with Vince Gill that hit number one in April 1993. McEntire’s next chart-topper was also a duet, “Does He Love You,” sung with Linda Davis; it hit number one in November 1993 and was included on her September release Greatest Hits, Vol. 2, an album that sold two million units practically out of the box and another three million over the next five years. “Does He Love You” won McEntire her second Grammy, for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals, and a CMA award for Vocal Event. She also appeared in the tv movie The Man from left Field in 1993.

By 1994, while continuing to reign as country’s most popular female singer, McEntire was increasingly turning her focus to other concerns. Her 18th regular studio album, Read My Mind, appeared in April. Another instant million-seller that went on to go triple platinum, it threw off five country chart singles, among them the chart-topping “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter” and, controversially, “She Thinks His Name Was John,” a song about a woman who contracts AIDS from a one-night stand. Even McEntire’s star power could propel such an atypical country subject only as high as number 15 in the charts. Meanwhile, she had parts in two feature films put forth while the summer, a speaking role in the drama North and a cameo in the children’s comedy The Little Rascals. (She also made an uncredited appearance in the Western film Maverick and was heard on the motion picture soundtrack album.) She executive produced and starred in a tv movie based on her song, Is There Life Out There? And she published her autobiography, Reba: My Story, which became a best-seller.

McEntire’s 19th record was called Starting Over, put forth in October 1995. Intended to mark the 20th anniversary of her recording career, it was a collection of covers of well-known music. It not only dominated the country charts but hit number five in the pop charts, selling a million albums out of the box. But, boasting only one Top Ten hit, a revival of Lee Greenwood’s “Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands,” among three chart singles, and not achieving a multi-platinum certification, it suggested that McEntire finally had peaked commercially as far as country material was concerned. (In a considerable departure for a country singer, MCA gave us a dance remix of McEntire’s revival of the Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” from the record that reached number two on Billboard’s dance chart.) That didn’t keep her from starring in another tv mini-series, Buffalo Gals, playing famed Western sharpshooter Annie Oakley, a part her rodeo background suited her to perfectly. She bounced back on the country charts somewhat with her 20th album, What If It’s You, gave us in November 1996. The record spawned four Top 20 hits, with “How Was I to Know” reaching number one and “The Fear of Being Alone” and “I’d Rather Ride Around with You” each getting to number two. at the same time certified gold and platinum, the record eventually dominated two million copies.

The singles drawn from What If It’s You kept McEntire’s name in the country charts throughout 1997, as did the holiday benefit album “What If,” the proceeds from which were donated to the Salvation Army. But for the first time since 1978, she did not release a new album, even a compilation, during the calendar year. Aiming for a splash, she teamed up with the successful country duo Brooks & Dunn in the spring of 1998 for a single called “If You See Him/If You See Her.” It hit number one in June, helping to set up the release of her 21st album, If You See Him, which also brought her three additional Top Ten smashes on its way to selling a million albums. She appeared in the television movie Forever Love (the title of one of those Top Ten hits) while the year and made several guest-star appearances on tv series.

After publishing her second book of memoirs, Comfort from a Country Quilt, in May 1999, McEntire had two new units ready for the fall. Secret of Giving: A Christmas Collection, a September release, was her second holiday CD, which she accompanied with a tv movie, Secret of Giving. The disc eventually went gold. So Good Together, issued in November, was her 22nd regular studio album, prefaced by the Top Five single “What Do You Say.” Although none of the songs from the album topped the country charts, it did feature a second Top Five hit, “I’ll Be,” and a Top 20 hit in “We’re So Good Together,” and it went platinum before the end of 2000.

As in 1997, McEntire went without an record release in 2000, and in this case, it turned out that she definitely was positioning herself for a career beyond country music, as concerts in 2001 showed. In February of that year, she stepped in as a replacement star in the Broadway revival of Irving Berlin’s musical Annie Get Your Gun that had begun shows in 1999 with Bernadette Peters in the title role of Annie Oakley. Barry and Fran Weissler, the producers of the revival, were known on Broadway for making money by keeping production costs down and by the extensive use of what was derisively called “stunt casting”: bringing in a well-known personality, repeatedly one without much of a theater background, as a replacement to extend the run of a show, as a means of exciting the tourist crowd who would recognize the name of a prominent tv star, for example. McEntire had been preceded as a replacement in Annie Get Your Gun by soap opera star Susan Lucci and tv actress Cheryl Ladd, both of whom kept the show going while being largely ignored or derided by theater insiders.

McEntire turned out to be an entirely different proposition. First, although she lacked legitimate theater experience, she had by now done plenty of acting on television and even a little in film. Second, she had long since brought unusually high production values to her performances that included choreography and costume changes, good preparation for similar demands in the theater. Third, she could, of course, sing. And fourth, with her rodeo background and Oklahoma accent, she was an ideal Annie Oakley, just as she had been in her previous television portrayal. (Never mind that the real Annie Oakley was from Ohio; in everybody’s mind, this female sharpshooter and star of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, the precursor to the modern rodeo, was a Westerner.) The result was a triumph for McEntire. Reviews were ecstatic, and tickets sold out. The Tony Awards did not have a category for replacements (one has since been added), but she was given special awards for her performance by the Drama Desk, the Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World. She stayed in the show until June 22, 2001. Unfortunately, there was no new cast album recorded to immortalize her appearance.

During the run of Annie Get Your Gun, McEntire was seen in a small part in the film One Night a McCool’s, issued in April 2001. Her most extensive filmed acting role began on October 5, 2001, however, when the half-hour situation comedy Reba premiered on the WB tv network (later renamed the CW network). The show became the primary focus of McEntire’s activities, and she moved to Los Angeles to accommodate it. She had not, however, given up country music entirely. In the summer of 2001, she put forth a single, “I’m a Survivor,” that peaked in the country Top Five and prefaced a new compilation, Greatest Hits, Vol. 3: I’m a Survivor, gave us in October. It topped the country charts and went gold.

McEntire was occupied primarily with her television series while 2002 and 2003. She finally returned to album making after two years in the summer of 2003 with a new single, “I’m Gonna Take That Mountain,” which peaked in the country Top 20. Room to Breathe, her 23rd regular studio album and first in three years, came in November and went platinum over the next nine months. The disc’s second single, “Somebody,” hit number one, and it was followed by another Top Ten hit, “He Gets That from Me,” and the Top 20 “My Sister.”

Reba continued on into 2004 and 2005. McEntire found time in the spring of 2005 to return to the musical theater, if only for one night. In another piece of inspired casting, she portrayed the “cock-eyed optimist” from Arkansas, Ensign Nellie Forbush, in a special concert version of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific performed at Carnegie Hall. The all-star production, also featuring Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell and actor Alec Baldwin, was filmed for a PBS special on the network’s Great shows series and recorded for an album, both of which appeared in 2006.

By 2005, the catalogs of Mercury and MCA had been combined in the major label Universal, and in November MCA released McEntire’s first combined smashes collection, the double-CD set Reba: #1’s, with two newly recorded tracks. It went gold and platinum at the same time. In 2006, as she began the sixth season of Reba, McEntire also voiced a character in the holiday film release Charlotte’s Web. The sixth season of Reba proved to be the last, as the show signed off the air on February 18, 2007. Not one to sit idle, McEntire toured the U.S. from May 25 through August. On September 18, 2007, she released a new album, Reba Duets, featuring such guests as Justin Timberlake, Don Henley, Kelly Clarkson, Kenny Chesney, Carole King, Faith Hill, Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill, Rascal Flatts, LeAnn Rimes, and Trisha Yearwood. It was prefaced by the single “Because of You,” a duet with Clarkson. For the week ending October 6, 2007, Reba Duets became McEntire’s first album ever to enter the pop charts at number one.

The October 28, 2008, release of the three-disc set 50 Greatest hits marked the conclusion of her contract with MCA Nashville, and McEntire signed to Valory material. Through the singer’s Starstruck imprint, Valory issued her next album, Keep on Loving You, on August 18, 2009. For the week ending September 5, 2009, it became her second album to enter the Billboard pop chart at number one.

REBA MCENTIRE is set to return as host for the ninth annual CMA COUNTRY CHRISTMAS program, to be taped on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th at BELMONT UNIVERSITY’s CURB EVENT CENTER in NASHVILLE. Tickets for the taping are on sale now. Visit Country Music News Blog to learn more. Continue reading →

Country icon REBA MCENTIRE has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with GIVEN MUSIC PUBLISHING (GMP). It is a professional reunion for MCENTIRE and GMP Founding Partner CINDY OWEN; MCENTIRE gave OWEN her start in the music industry when OWEN was in her teens, and OWEN later became MCENTIRE’s VP/Creative Services for 15 years. “Signing REBA to GIVEN is for sure a full-circle moment for me,” said OWEN. “One of my greatest blessings is having had a front row seat for all these years to watch her blaze new trails and become the icon she is. Her work ethic, talent, and determination are unmatched and examples to us all. REBA has always made evident her lifelong passion for songs, songwriters, and the songwriting community. We at GIVEN look forward to being a part of her team as she continues to expand new horizons in entertainment and create opportunities for herself and other songwriters.”

The Academy of Country Music announced today the host and nominations for the 53RD ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™, Country Music’s Party of the Year®, honoring country music’s superstars and hottest emerging talent. Multimedia superstar and sixteen-time ACM Award® winner Reba McEntire will return to host LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. Chris Stapleton Leads with 8 Nominations; Thomas Rhett Receives 6 NominationsKeith Urban and Songwriter Shane McAnally Each Receive 5 Nominations; Miranda Lambert and Maren Morris Each Receive 4 Nominations;Sam Hunt, Little Big Town and Midland Each Receive 3 Nominations;Tim McGraw & Faith Hill Receive First Nomination as Vocal Duo [bctt tweet=”Just announced! 53rd @ACMawards Nominations Revealed plus @Reba Returns to Host LIVE from Las Vegas @MGMGrand April 15 at 8pm on #CBS!” username=”My_CountryMusic”] ENCINO, CA (March 1, 2018) – The Academy of Country Music announced today the host and nominations for the 53RD ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™, Country Music’s Party of the Year®, honoring country music’s superstars and hottest emerging talent. Multimedia superstar and sixteen-time ACM Award® winner Reba McEntire will return to host LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15, 2018 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. This year’s show will mark Reba’s fifteenth time hosting the ceremony, last appearing in 2012 with Blake Shelton. In addition to surprising audiences with the news that she will return to host, Reba appeared live today on “CBS This Morning” to announce this year’s ACM Award nominees for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Vocal Duo of the Year, and Vocal Group of the Year, as well as nominees for Song of the Year on Facebook LIVE. “Entertainment Tonight” host Nancy O’Dell announced additional nominees on ETonline.com. Chris Stapleton leads with eight nominations in five categories, including his first nod for Entertainer of the Year. Stapleton is also nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, and twice, as both artist and producer, in both the Album of the Year and Single Record of the Year categories; he received the Album of the Year nod for From a Room: Volume 1, and the Single Record of the Year nod for “Broken Halos.” He is also nominated twice, both as artist and songwriter, in the Song of The Year category for “Whiskey and You.” Reigning Male Vocalist of the Year, Thomas Rhett earned six nominations, including his second in the Male Vocalist of the Year category. Rhett is also nominated twice, as an artist and producer, for both Album of The Year for Life Changes and Vocal Event of the Year for “Craving You” (featuring Maren Morris). Lastly, he is nominated for his first Music Video of the Year award for “Marry Me,” along with director TK McKamy and producer Dan Atchison. Keith Urban earned five nominations including his eighth nod for Entertainer of the Year Continue reading →

Timeless, familiar and fierce are all things we think of when Reba McEntire comes to mind, and that’s why we’ve chosen her to be the first in our series of living legends. Hi, my name’s Shauna, but a lot of you know me better as “WhiskeyChick“. I’m one of the head writers for country music news blog and country music on tour, and today I want to talk to you about Reba, the queen of country music, and certainly the queen of Oklahoma, which is where we’re based. My first pick for one of our Top 12 2018 Living Legends in Country Music. I can’t remember a time in my life where Reba McEntire wasn’t the motherly voice I heard in the back of my head when struggling with a heartbreak or making a tough decision, or just looking for a little more inner strength. She’s always led her career with a fierceness and a fire that so many of today’s stars seem to think is a given. No matter what project Reba takes on, she does it with a certain amount of relatable sass. One of the things I find most impressive about Reba though, is the fact that she is not afraid to take on sensitive subjects or controversial topics. She finds a way to take a story that is very hard to tell, and make it feel as personal to you as if had happened to you. The ability to convey that level of emotion, and that level of heartache, and that level of anger in a three-minute track is something that so few are blessed with. And that’s why she is one of our top picks for the 2018 Living Legends. If you want to read more about Reba McEntire give us a visit over at CountryMusicNewsBlog.com If you want to catch Reba McEntire live, come check us out at CountryMusicOnTour.com Again, my name’s WhiskeyChick, and thanks for watching!

It looks like Reba is taking the reigns when it comes time to ring in that holiday spirit. Jennifer Nettles is stepping down and Reba is stepping up to host the annual CMA Country Christmas special. The program will be taped in Nashville, TN at the Grand Ole Opry House on November 14th, and then later brodacast on November 27th on ABC. REBA MCENTIRE will host the eighth annual “CMA COUNTRY CHRISTMAS” program, to be taped on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14th at the GRAND OLE OPRY HOUSE in NASHVILLE. The show will then air as a two-hour holiday special MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27th at 8p (ET) on ABC-TV.

In her first ever online class, she breaks down one of her greatest hits, “Fancy,” and shares what it takes to create a sustainable career in country music. McEntire’s MasterClass covers storytelling, connecting to an audience, singing, performance, vocal warm up, song selection, brand building and the business side of the industry. Reba McEntire’s MasterClass is available now at www.masterclass.com/reba To learn more about MasterClass go to www.masterclass.com View/Download: Reba McEntire’s official MasterClass trailer: here About MasterClass: Launched by David Rogier and Aaron Rasmussen in 2015, MasterClass provides online classes from world-renowned instructors, making it possible for anyone to learn from the best. Each class offers a unique learning experience which includes video lessons from the instructor, interactive exercises, course materials, peer interaction, and more. All classes are available online for individual purchase at www.masterclass.com for $90 each. MasterClass’ current roster of courses includes Christina Aguilera (singing), Kevin Spacey (acting), Usher (performance), Serena Williams (tennis), James Patterson (writing), Dustin Hoffman (acting), Werner Herzog (filmmaking), and Aaron Sorkin (screenwriting). Most recently, the company announced pre-enrollment for Deadmau5 (music production) and today announced Hans Zimmer (music composition).

MUSIC STARS REBA McENTIRE, ALISON KRAUSS, BUDDY MILLER, LARRY GATLIN, JESSI COLTER, SHOOTER JENNINGS ADDED TO POWERHOUSE LINEUP FOR THE LIFE & SONGS OF KRIS KRISTOFFERSON THESE ARTISTS JOIN THE ALL-STAR LINEUP OF PERFORMERS INCLUDING LADY ANTEBELLUM, DIERKS BENTLEY, RYAN BINGHAM, ROSANNE CASH, ERIC CHURCH, EMMYLOU HARRIS, JACK INGRAM, JAMEY JOHNSON, TOBY KEITH, MARTINA McBRIDE, WILLIE NELSON, JENNIFER NETTLES, DARIUS RUCKER, HANK WILLIAMS JR., AND LEE ANN WOMACK ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME CONCERT EVENT TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, AT BRIDGESTONE ARENA IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE FINAL BLOCK OF GREAT SEATS NOW AVAILABLE VIA TICKETMASTER.COM NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (Tuesday, March 8, 2016) – Music stars Reba McEntire, Alison K rauss, Buddy Miller, Larry Gatlin, Jessi Colter, and Shooter Jennings have been added to the all-star lineup of The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson on Wednesday, March 16, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The all-star concert event taping will pay tribute to the legendary singer-songwriter and actor with performances by Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, Ryan Bingham, Rosanne Cash, Eric Church, Emmylou Harris, < strong>Jack Ingram, Jamey Johnson, Toby Keith, Martina McBride, Willie Nelson, Jennifer Nettles, Darius Rucker, Hank Williams Jr., and Lee Ann Womack. Kristofferson will take the stage to perform with a number of special guests throughout the evening. A final block of great seats is now available at Ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, at all Ticketmaster locations and at the Bridgestone Arena box office. Citi is the official credit card of The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson. Proceeds from a range of charity initiatives will benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation, the official charity partner of the show. For more information, visit http://songsofkristofferson.com/charitybuzz. The T.J. Martell Foundation, the music industry’s largest foundation, funds innovative medical researc h focused on finding cures for leukemia, cancer and AIDS. For more information, visit www.TJMartell.org. Kristofferson, a Country Music Hall of Fame member, is considered a true poet who helped modernize the genre with songs such as “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” “Me and&n bsp;Bobby McGee” and “Lovin’ Her Was Easier.” These are the songs of heartbreak and despair, of love and loss, of yearning and hope. These are the songs so honest that we adopted them as our own. They are the songs of a life led unlike any other: An All-American athlete, Golden Gloves boxer, Army Ranger, helicopter pilot, singer-songwriter, social activist, humanitarian and movie star. Keith Wortman is creator and executive producer of the show. Grammy Award-winner Don Was will serve as music director and will lead an all-star band that includes featured artist and Grammy Award-winner Buddy Miller backing the performers at this incomparable concert event taping. The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson will be filmed and recorded for multi-platform distribution throughout traditional media (worldwide broadcast, music and digital). FOR ALL SHOW DETAILS AND THE OFFICIAL CONCERT EVENT WEBSITE, PLEASE VISIT: songsofkristofferson.com #songsofkristofferson About Kris Kristofferson: Kristofferson is a Country Music Hall of Famer who ranks among the most versatile of American talents. Continue reading →

Malibu Country Creator Talks About Inspiration For The Show. ABC‘s new TV show, Malibu Country, premieres this Friday, November 2. The show will star one of country music’s leading ladies, Reba McEntire. Dave Stewart, the creator of the show, recently spoke in an interview about his inspiration for the show and this is what he had to say… “My mind moves in mysterious ways! I became fascinated with Nashville after my first real stay there a few years ago when I got back to Los Angeles. I went with a few friends to Malibu to my friend [songwriter] Glen Ballard’s house and for some reason insisted we all wear country outfits, cowboy hats, etc.. I made a little film too and put some music to it and then I started to invent a world where the two places collide. I then got a guy who worked at my management company to come up with some logos and started to kick around the story in my head. I came up with the idea that a very messy and public divorce happens in Nashville between two country stars and the female moves as far away as she can to Malibu with her feisty mother, her kids, etc. I then proceeded to write the story and synopsis with my in-house writer at my company [Weapons Of Mass Entertainment] Dave Harris. Once we had that finished, I took the whole concept in a special box with story treatment, character breakdown, music, even hat and t-shirt in a wooden box to the late legendary producer Laura Ziskin and showed her. She immediately loved it and we became partners to pitch the project.” Stewart and McEntire wrote a song in the pilot episode called “The New Me.” Be sure to watch the premier on Friday and tell us what you think!

Reba Will No Longer Host The Academy Of Country Music Awards. Reba McEntire has announced that she will no longer host the Academy of Country Music Awards. She has “passed the torch to Blake,” who she has co-hosted with for the last two years. Before that Reba ran the show solo starting in 1999. Although this is sad news, it is good to hear she is confident that Shelton can get the job done! However, the two did make fans chuckle with their back and forth comedy on the previous years. I have to wonder if she is too busy with her new show Malibu Country or if she just feels it is time to step down? Whatever the case may be, we still love her! Here’s to Reba, a very classy lady!

Reba Was Featured On Last Week’s Episode Of “Who Do You Think You Are?” Reba McEntire was featured on the March 2 episode of NBC’s series “Who Do You Think You Are?” This show takes famous people (athletes, actors, musicians, etc.) and shows them a whole other side of themselves that they didn’t know existed. A slew of well-known figures in society have taken part in this ancestral adventure including Tim McGraw, Lisa Kudrow, Emmitt Smith, Ashley Judd, Kim Cattrall, Spike Lee, Steve Buscemi and now Reba! During her experience, Reba travels all over searching for answers to her family history. “I want to know where we came from. I want to know what makes me tick. Why am I like I am? I would love to go back, as far back as possible. I am very interested in knowing who the first of my ancestors were to step on the United States of America.” -Reba These are questions that everyone would love answered and Reba was lucky enough to get the chance to try! Here is the entire episode. If you missed it, then here you go. If you already saw it, no hurt in watching it again!

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